Oitama Onsen

On my way back from eating Kitakata ramen, I decided to take a detour via Yonezawa on my way to Niigata. I was surprised to find that Kitakata and Yonezawa are quite close. I looked up places to take a bath in Yonezawa before heading home and found this day-trip hot spring, so I went in. I thought the entrance fee of 330 yen was cheap. The changing room was spacious, which made undressing easy. There was one indoor bath and two outdoor baths, one of which was a reclining bath with a great view of the rice fields across the way. I got the feeling that insects might fly around in the summer. The water was odorless and tasteless, with no particular characteristics. There were 10 washing stations, but it seemed to be a busy time, so I had to wait to wash myself. Rinse-in shampoo and liquid soap were provided. There were two coin-operated hair dryers.

We mainly visited for the 30-minute sand bath. Put on a yukata → Have sand thrown over you → After 15 minutes, your face is wiped with a cold towel → You're given bottled water → Rinse off in the shower → Then relax in the bath. 1 indoor bath, 3 outdoor baths (1 of which is a mini-sized stone bath for children), 1 sauna (additional charge of ¥120), 1 cold bath. It's not hot, but the spring water keeps you warm for a long time. You can also drink the spring water. If I were to be selfish, I would have liked to stay buried in the sand for another 10 minutes (lol). Anyway, the service was very warm and it left me feeling warm in both body and soul.

The bath alone is good value at 400 yen. The hot water is also excellent. There are plenty of washing areas, and body soap and conditioner shampoo are free. Hair dryers are charged at 10 yen for 2 minutes or 100 yen for 5 minutes (they seem to be a bit more expensive). Some people brought their own to use. The sauna and sand bath are charged separately.

There was an indoor bath and an open-air bath. It seemed to be frequented by many locals. The water had no smell. The temperature wasn't too hot, so I was able to relax in it. It was a snowy day, so the open-air bath felt great. You could also use the sauna for an additional 100 yen.

Had a great time here. I tried the sand bath. It was a very new experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.